Banfield Pet Wellness Plan Review 2023

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Banfield Pet Wellness plans are unique from other pet insurance companies since it doesn't offer pet insurance. Instead, Banfield offers different tiers of "Optimum Wellness Plans." These plans cover routine medical treatments and preventative care for dogs and cats. Still, it doesn't kick in to pay for substantial vet bills resulting from emergency surgeries or other unexpected illnesses.

Banfield Pet Wellness Plans

Banfield pet insurance - Product Name Only pet wellness plans cover a wide range of wellness care including annual dental cleanings with some plans. However, it does not provide accident or illness care if your pet gets sick.

That said, buying a wellness plan from Banfield can still make sense alongside the best pet insurance. After all, these plans essentially let you prepay for routine checkups and wellness care for your pet, ensuring your furry friend receives preventative care to help them stay in optimal health. More importantly, since you're working with Banfield pet hospital, the prices for each service are guaranteed. Other pet wellness plans allow you to pick your vet while allocating a certain amount for each service (which may or may not pay for the full service).

If you're curious how pet wellness plans from Banfield Pet Hospital work or where exactly you can use each plan, read on to learn more.

Banfield Pet Wellness Plans Cost

Because Banfield pet insurance - Product Name Only plans are wellness plans and not pet insurance, these plans are meant to help you spread out the cost of preventative care instead of covering unexpected vet bills. Especially when you start your pet's care young, quality wellness care can go a long way. Most importantly, Banfield provides predictability. No matter which of its clinics you go to, you'll get the services included in your chosen wellness plan without additional costs.

To get an idea of what you might pay for a prepaid wellness plan from Banfield, we got quotes for several types of pets of different ages. Interestingly, we found Banfield wellness plans cost the same for dogs and cats of all ages and breeds within the same zip code.

Dog wellness plans for pets in Indianapolis, Indiana, returned the following monthly premiums:

• Active Care: $36.95 per month
• Active Care Plus: $49.95 per month
• Special Care: $62.95 per month

When it came to wellness coverage for cats, Banfield offered the following prices for animals in Indianapolis, Indiana:

• Active Care: $29.95 per month
• Active Care Plus: $43.95 per month
• Special Care: $52.95 per month

In addition to these quotes, Banfield charges a one-time enrollment fee of $60.95 for each pet when you sign up.

How to File a Claim With Banfield

Because Banfield pet insurance - Product Name Only offers pet wellness plans instead of traditional pet insurance, you don't file claims after paying a bill. Instead, you prepay for a pet wellness plan with a certain amount and type of services for each coverage year. From there, you visit Banfield locations to use your plan, in which case the covered services you receive are completed at no charge.

Just remember some services offered through Banfield are unlimited, whereas others come with limits on benefits for each coverage year. For example, members get unlimited office visits and chats with veterinarians, but annual limitations apply to other services like diagnostic testing, fecal exams, and deworming.

If you need services not included in your plan or have surpassed the limit on included services, you'll need to pay for additional pet care out-of-pocket. However, this is where having the Special Care plan helps since this plan gets you 20% off most other services and products Banfield offers.

Banfield Pet Wellness Plans

As mentioned, Banfield pet insurance - Product Name Only offers wellness plans instead of traditional pet insurance to pay vet bills when your pet is sick or injured. The company describes its pet wellness plans as "a smart and affordable yearly package of preventive pet care services." It also lets members pay for plans monthly or annually without any interest charges.

Generally speaking, Banfield offers three tiers of wellness care for dogs and cats: a basic Active Care plan, a mid-tier Active Care Plus plan, and a premium Special Care plan. All three plans include the following coverages:

• Comprehensive physical exams
• Deworming
• Diagnostic testing
• Fecal exams
• Office visits
• Pet wellness 1-1
• Unlimited interstate health certificates
• Vaccinations
• Vet chat
• Virtual visits

What are the differences? The Active Care Plus plan for dogs and cats also adds one yearly dental cleaning and urine testing. So if you want to keep your dog healthy and avoid future diseases and extractions, pet dental insurance goes a long way.

Meanwhile, the Special Care plan for dogs offers everything the other two plans offer, plus three preventative X-rays per year, eye pressure tests and electrocardiograms twice yearly, and 20% off most other Banfield discounts and services.

There are also wellness plans for puppies and kittens, offered in two different tiers: Early Care and Early Care Plus. These plans provide the same preventative and wellness care services as the options for older pets for younger animals up to six months.

What is not covered by Banfield pet wellness plans?

Since Banfield pet insurance - Product Name Only offers pet wellness plans instead of traditional pet insurance, you can't use this coverage to pay for medical care resulting from accidents and injuries. Likewise, a Banfield plan won't protect you from excessive pet care bills. Instead, its wellness plans are intended to pay for routine wellness services to keep dogs and cats in the best possible shape.

That said, some Banfield plans offer discounts on other products and services. If you ask does pet insurance cover surgery, medical treatments, prescription drugs, rehabilitation, and more, the answer may be yes with other companies. Banfield only offers modest discounts at Banfield hospitals.

Additional coverage options from Banfield

At this time, Banfield puts all its focus into wellness plans. However, these plans can only be used at Banfield hospitals, which have benefits and drawbacks. We've seen that prices for more extensive care vary widely at Banfield hospitals. However, if you buy a pet insurance plan somewhere else, there are no indications the companies would not reimburse you if you like your vet.

We have yet to see signs of Banfield expanding coverage in the future. Currently, Banfield is also state restricted. Buyers can use its location search tool to find locations nearby. Based on our research, Banfield does not have servicing locations in the following areas:

• Alaska
• Hawaii
• Maine
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

FAQs

Does Banfield offer pet insurance?

Banfield does not offer traditional pet insurance for accidents and injuries. Instead, the company offers pet wellness plans that let members prepay for routine and wellness care services.

How do I cancel Banfield without paying?

Banfield says your enrollment will expire if you don't make an appointment at a Banfield location within 30 days. In this scenario, your credit card would not be charged.

What is the relationship between Banfield and Petsmart?

Banfield Pet Hospitals operate some locations within PetSmart stores. However, not all PetSmart stores have a Banfield, and not all Banfield locations are associated with a PetSmart.

How much will I pay for wellness care from Banfield?

Our research shows the average dog wellness plan from Banfield costs $32.95 per month to $62.95 per month, whereas wellness plans for cats cost $29.95 to $52.95 per month.

Compare Banfield Pet Wellness Plans

Remember that Banfield doesn't sell traditional pet insurance in the form of coverage for medical emergencies. However, many other companies do. Below, see how Banfield compares to three alternative providers: Figo, Healthy Paws, and Pets Best.

Banfield vs. Figo Pet Insurance

Figo Pet Insurance - Product Name Only sells pet insurance alongside a "Wellness Powerup" rider. Its plans pay for vet bills resulting from accidents and injuries, excluding preexisting conditions, thus helping you avoid excessive vet bills. In addition, its wellness plan helps pet parents pay for things like spaying or neutering, vaccines, and routine exams.

However, the wellness coverage is less extensive than Banfield's, covering fewer annual services. More importantly, your reimbursements are based on your vet. Figo allocates a fixed amount for each service. So if you go to a more expensive vet, you pay the difference.

What can you expect from Figo's pet insurance? Figo pet parents can choose $5,000, $10,000, or unlimited annual limits. Customers can also select a deductible of $100, $250, $500, or $750 with a 70% to 100% reimbursement level. All of this determines monthly premiums and your out-of-pocket costs in an emergency. You might be surprised at how comparable pricing is for Figo's full accident and illness plans next to Banfield's wellness-only plans.

Figo Pet Insurance Review

Banfield vs. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance - Product Name Only is another pet insurance company offering coverage for accidents and illnesses without enforcing maximum annual or lifetime payouts if you choose that plan. Coverage is available for dogs and cats, and members can take their pets to any licensed veterinarian for care. Of course, costs will determine how much you spend after coverage.

Unlike Banfield, Healthy Paws offers no wellness plan or wellness rider. Instead, among other things, pet parents can budget for wellness. Unfortunately, it's not as easy to budget for unexpected medical emergencies. In addition to offering pet insurance with no annual caps on coverage, HealthyPaws lets customers choose their reimbursement level (70% or 80%) and a deductible of $250 or $500. Most importantly, for some pet parents, Healthy Paws is available in all 50 states and Washington, DC. So it will follow you wherever you go.

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review

Banfield vs. Pets Best Pet Insurance

Pets Best pet insurance - Product Name Only is similar to Banfield because it offers pet wellness plans, but it also offers pet insurance coverage. Its plans pay out specific amounts toward specific pet care treatments each year with no required deductible for a set monthly fee for dogs and cats. Pets Best partners with insurers like GEICO to connect to customers.

In our quoting process, it asked about a few specific diseases, including Cushing's, Addison's, and a few others. It also asked if we were military members, presumably to offer a discount. We were offered unlimited coverage, 70-90% reimbursement levels, and annual deductibles ranging from $50 to $1,000.

Like other pet insurers, Pets Best's wellness options are less comprehensive than Banfield's. You also have to file claims, and reimbursement is based on a set number that may or may not match your vet's pricing. However, its insurance coverage is comparable to many top pet insurance providers.

Pets Best Pet Insurance Review

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Banfield Pet Wellness Plans

To write this review of Banfield pet insurance, we compared popular pet insurance companies' policies, benefits offered, and exclusions. We also compared providers based on annual and lifetime caps (if applicable) and the premiums for various pet profiles.

Coverage, pricing, and company reputation are significant factors in finding the right pet insurance company. For example, $10,000 coverage caps may seem like a lot until your pet has a severe medical emergency with one surgery that costs $20,000 or more. Conversely, paying just $30-$50 per month per pet is affordable and accessible for pet parents on a tight budget. We do the work for you to get a comprehensive picture of your best pet insurance options.

Read the full methodology for how we rate pet insurance.